


All's Fair in Love and Spite

by Scytale



Category: Ancient Greek Religion & Lore
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-22
Updated: 2019-09-22
Packaged: 2020-10-26 05:41:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 739
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20737127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Scytale/pseuds/Scytale
Summary: Persephone and Aphrodite, after Psyche visits the underworld.





	All's Fair in Love and Spite

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Ruis](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ruis/gifts).

Psyche leaves Persephone's hall with her prize in hand. The stupid girl never stops to wonder why Aphrodite would need to borrow another goddess's beauty, or why the queen of the Underworld would ever lower herself to give a gift to some sniveling mortal.

At least Aphrodite won’t have to worry about the girl again, after this. The greedy little bitch won’t be able to resist temptation; once she opens the box, the nasty little surprise Aphrodite persuaded Persephone to prepare will take care of her.

When the girl is gone, Persephone turns to look at Aphrodite. The illusion Aphrodite wears hides her only from mortals, not from the other goddess, and there's no need for Persephone to pretend any more.

“I like the girl,” Persephone says, which is just the sort of spiteful, contrary thing Persephone would say.

Aphrodite glares down at Persephone, who looks back at her from her throne, unfazed. Sometimes, Aphrodite misses the days before Persephone was queen. Back when she was Kore, Persephone would never have _dared_ to set herself against Aphrodite.

"The girl won't even make it down the hall before she tries to steal from you," Aphrodite says.

“As if no one has ever stolen from me before,” Persephone says wryly.

Which is such an unfair thing to say. Adonis was given to Aphrodite for two-thirds of the year in fair judgment, and anyway, Persephone stole him _first_. 

Before Aphrodite can protest, though, Persephone chooses to return to the subject at hand. "Eros could do worse, you know. She must really be in love, to come down to the Underworld and to put up with all the tasks you set her."

"He’s a god of love," Aphrodite snaps. "He can make anyone love him."

"Apparently, he doesn’t want to," Persephone says. Her eyes are too sharp and knowing, and her tone is mild and reasonable, and both of those things are absolutely _infuriating_. That's another thing that's changed about her, in the centuries since she came to the Underworld -- she thinks that judging the dead gives her the right to judge the other gods. There was a time she would have blushingly deferred to Aphrodite's wisdom and believed Aphrodite even if she told her the sky was gold. "You have to let him make his own decisions sometimes." 

And Aphrodite sees what this is about. Aphrodite scowls. “Don’t bring your own issues with your mother into this.”

Annoyance sparks in Persephone's eyes for the first time -- but then, she's always been sensitive about her mother. That, at least, is something that hasn't changed from the days she was a pretty maiden picking flowers in the meadow. “Stop acting like her, then.”

Aphrodite could make Persephone fall in love with a pig. It's almost tempting; Persephone deserves it for lecturing Aphrodite about love, for choosing to side with a mortal over her.

But then Persephone rises from her throne, and she wraps her arms around Aphrodite. Their bodies press together; Persephone smells of earth and dying roses. Her lips brush comfortingly against Aphrodite's ear. "The girl won’t threaten you. She’s desperate for your approval, in fact."

Really. This attempt at persuasion is so pathetically transparent. As if those tricks of seduction can work against Aphrodite. She invented them all.

But she lets Persephone pull her down onto the throne anyway. Persephone straddles her, and Aphrodite tilts her head back, letting Persephone press kisses to her throat. It's at least a distraction from having dealing with her son’s terrible decisions, and in any case, Aphrodite has always liked to be worshipped.

She tangles her hair in Persephone's dark hair. Persephone's hair is fine and cool against her fingers; her kisses leave a trail of sweet fire along Aphrodite's neck.

"I'm not threatened," Aphrodite says. Pleasant as Persephone's kisses are, she has to correct that misperception.

"Of course you aren't," Persephone murmurs. "No mortal can threaten you. You just prefer to be cruel to those who want your love." Her voice is cool enough to send shivers down Aphrodite's back, her breath tickles the curve of Aphrodite's throat, and her words please Aphrodite more than she would ever admit.

Aphrodite clenches a fist in Persephone's hair. She tugs Persephone's head back, exposing her throat, and a hiss escapes from Persephone. "Am I cruel to you too?" Aphrodite asks, already knowing the answer.

Persephone smiles. "Always," she says, and she steals a kiss from Aphrodite's lips.


End file.
